...in your favor."
~ Brian Tracy
Ordinarily, I don't have many IT hassles. If something needs doing, or if there's some skill I suddenly find I need in order to get something done, it's a simple enough thing to figure it out for myself. That method usually works best for me. The odd time or two I can't get it done that way, then I'll discuss it with someone else. Someone much more rational and sane than I am. Usually with Danielle and Natalie because they know everything. But this time, I don't think they can help me. See my sad face :( So, what's the problem? It's this: I really suck at fielding downloadable media queries. Like, really suck. And so I've decided that I have to do something about it, because I'll be damned if I let it get the better of me.
If an email comes in and a customer has found that the ebook they downloaded won't transfer to their Kobo ereader and it's my turn to deal with the inbox, I cringe. Actually, I whimper. If I weren't an adult I'd probably want to crawl under my desk and hide. It mostly comes down to my state of mind because, and I swear this is true, I go into defensive mode and immediately think to myself, 'OMG! I can't do it! I don't know what the answer is! I'm never going to be able to help them! It's going to be too hard! I just know it! I knew I should've worked at Burger King instead of public libraries!' (Yes, I talk excitedly enough to use exclamation marks even in my head). Which is rubbish because about 7 times out of 10 I know the answer, or can reason it out, and can talk customers through to reading/listening to their file. The other 3 times I can't, I discuss it with other staff in our team or, if it's really beyond me, refer it to Overdrive's technical support desk. Our team, and Overdrive's tech support people, respond quickly, they're polite and they never make me feel deficient. Which is just as well because I think I've got that covered on my own :) So, I figure that the best way to get over how it makes me feel - like I'm an absolute boobhead who shouldn't be allowed to answer the phone on my own - is to answer more queries. I think that'll give me more confidence. Or make me more neurotic, I'm not sure yet. And that's my personal work goal, which will run from now till the end of the year: answering more downloadable media queries means I gain more experience and confidence. Outcome? Happy customers, happy Tosca. I think. I hope! I've just now sent an email to the others in my team (I know, what kind of doofus sends work mails this late at night? Me. Always) asking if they can send any and all downloadable media queries to me in the first instance. Dropkick me, Jesus, through the goalposts of life. (That's a song title, by the way).
Is it terrible that a not-so-teeny, tiny part of me hopes they gallantly refuse...? :P
- 3 comments • Category: on reflection, Tuesday, work related
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3 comments
I really like this post. I fully think that sometimes the best way to learn things is to deliberately chuck yourself in the deep end - in all honesty, I was kind of (read: extremely) terrified of working with teens, but agreed to take my role because I knew that I needed to grow and adapt. I've discovered I actually love it, and I'm surprising myself!
You can do it! *shakes cheerleader pom poms*
Oh, and I'm ignoring the captcha that Blogger's ironically making me enter - 'quitt' :P
by Katie Norris on October 11, 2011 at 10:21 PM. #
That is the bestest, most ironic captcha ever! I miss doing teen services so much. Sometimes, I dream about going back to it. Probably because it was so enjoyable. I find that when things feel like hard work, it's generally because I've made it harder than it has to be :P Like fielding downloadable media queries! That which doesn't kill me right now, will come back and kill me properly, later. That's the saying, right...? Kidding.
You've got a teen club up and running? How's it going? I may have heaps of teen club activities from back when I used to do YA. I can flick you some. They may, or may not, be useful :)
by tosca on October 11, 2011 at 10:42 PM. #
Haha, yes, that's totally the saying ;)
No teen club as such yet, but I did host an event for Comic Book Month, and it went pretty well - I hadn't done anything like it before, so I was really learning as I went. The teen club's on the cards, but I'll wait til they're finished with exams. I would looove some ideas for activities, I'm taking all the help I can get right now! :)
by Katie Norris on October 12, 2011 at 12:03 AM. #